Big boost for TT before games

Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka has received a big boost and the players are also greatly benefited with Jagath Rajapakse, a former national player resident in France, finding a big sponsorship deal of 1.5 million through Tibhar Sports Company from Germany prior to the South Asian Games Table Tennis Tournament to be held from August 18 to 23 at S. Thomas' College Indoor Stadium, Mt. Lavinia.

Asitha Vidanagamage, Secretary, Table Tennis Association of Sri Lanka said Rajapakse, in addition to finding a big sponsor, has also started helping our paddlers at training together with the other coaches. TTASL believes that Rajapakse's international level of experience and expertise will help the present lot.

Vidanagamage said it was a pity that ten players in the training pool Thilina Piyadasa (MAS Holdings) captain of the Sri Lanka team, Rohan Sirisena (Ceylon Insurance), Indika Prasad (Seylan Bank), Gihan Liyanage (Dharmaraja College), Tharindu Samaraweera (S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia), Deepika Rodrigo (Lake House SC), Ishara Madurangi (Sri Devananda, Ambalangoda), Kalpani Herath (Girls High School, Kandy), Ruhasi Wijekoon (Maliyadeva College), Srimali Wijewardena (Holy Family Convent, Kurunegela). have had no foreign exposure this year. So they lack tough opposition to keep up to international standard.

The ten best paddlers were picked after open trials conducted by TTASL from the original pool of 20 players in training and the final ten were selected by national selection committee. Nimal Fernando (Chairman), Sunimal Fernando, Rajeev Wijetunge, Dilshan Seneviratne, Mrs. Swarna Peiris, Ittapana Jayasiri.

The paddlers are in residential camp at S. Thomas' College Indoor Stadium and they have been provided with lodging, nutritions, TT rubber rackets.

The players train in the mornings and evenings sessions under the guidance of Jagath Rajapakse, P. D. Ratnasiri (national coach), W. A. Buddhasiri (assistant coach), Mahinda Ellepola, Namal Gunasekera, Dilmini Direcks. Mahinda Ellepola is the Manager of the Sri Lanka table tennis team while Dilmini Direcks is the assistant manager.

Five new table tennis tables from India will arrive in a couple of days and the players will be able to start playing on the new tables which are to be used at the South Asian Games, added Vidanagamage. At the 2004 SAF Games, Sri Lanka won 7 bronze medals, 2 in the team events and 5 in the individual events. India proved their class becoming overall champions (team and individual) while Pakistan were runners-up.

Events to be held are: Team Event - five singles, Individual Event - two singles, two doubles and two mixed doubles.

TTASL has high hopes in achieving better results than in 2004 Games in Pakistan. The players' moral is high and they are in good form and should be able to get better results this time.